Three Point Pleasant Boro Students Named National Merit Commended Scholars

Three Point Pleasant Boro High School seniors have been name National Merit Commended Scholars for scoring among the top 5 percent of all those who took the PSAT as juniors.

Kyle Carr, Megan Kelly and Luke Tomkus are among 34,000 students nationwide -- out of 1.5 million who took the Preliminary SAT last year -- to be honored this year.

The PSAT also is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship program.

“Recognition by the highly competitive National Merit Scholarship Program is a tremendous honor,” said Edward McNeil, director of guidance at Point Boro. “Scoring among the top 5 percent nationwide is an incredible achievement.”

“Earning commendation in this extremely competitive program speaks volumes about the exceptional academic promise these students have demonstrated throughout their academic career,“ Principal Kurt Karcich said. “We could not be prouder of their achievement. “

Karcich said Point Boro students have traditionally done exceptionally well on the PSAT and that Boro students earn commendation each year, which he said it a testament to the district’s academic programmming.

The three students on Tuesday were presented with matted Letters of Commendation at school, and will be honored at the school board meeting on Oct. 20.

“As National Merit Commended Scholars, these students have been inducted into an elite group of academically accomplished students from across the country,” said Superintendent of Schools Vincent S. Smith. “And as the latest Point Pleasant Borough students to receive this distinction, they also join a community of distinguished Point Pleasant Borough High School alumni, the district’s past Commended Scholars, as representatives of both our district and the National Merit Scholarship Program.”

“I applaud these students and offer them my sincerest congratulations on a job well done,” he said.

“The young men and women being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” the National Merit Scholarship program said in a statement. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”

(PHOTO: Director of Guidance Ed McNeil, Megan Kelly, Kyle Carr, Luke Tomkus and Principal Kurt Karcich. Credit: Point Pleasant School District)